Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG -- Press conference with, from left, Paul Arrigo, President and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, Bob Dautrieve, Mayor of the North Pole and "Running of the Santas" organizer, and Baton Mayor President Kip Holden announcing the first Running of the Santas at the Visit Baton Rouge office.

Advocate staff photo by SHERRI MILLER -- Costumed runners take off from the starting line during the Running of the Santas in New Orleans on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.

Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG -- Press conference with, from left, Paul Arrigo, President and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, Bob Dautrieve, Mayor of the North Pole and "Running of the Santas" organizer, and Baton Mayor President Kip Holden announcing the first Running of the Santas at the Visit Baton Rouge office.

Advocate staff photo by SHERRI MILLER -- Costumed runners take off from the starting line during the Running of the Santas in New Orleans on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.

The Running of the Santas, a national Christmas event that annually attracts 10,000 participants in Philadelphia and another 3,000 in New Orleans, will host its inaugural Baton Rouge event on Saturday, Dec. 5.

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Holden and Visit Baton Rouge President/CEO Paul Arrigo were joined by Bob Dautrieve, of Running of the Santas, for the announcement Monday at Visit Baton Rouge’s downtown office.

In the event, patrons dress up in their favorite holiday swag and go bar hopping. The Baton Rouge iteration kicks off at 2 p.m. at The Draft House, then heads to The Roux House at 5:45 p.m. The Roux House will be the site of the event’s costume contest and a performance by Flow Tribe.

Dautrieve took the event from Philadelphia to New Orleans. He said the event is now in 27 cities and three countries overall.

When asked how to prepare for the 41/2-block fun run, Dautrieve said it’s not an endurance event.

“I received a call in New Orleans in our first year from someone who does a lot of running. He said, ‘How should I train for your event?’ and I said, ‘16 oz. curls is the best way to train,’ ” Dautrieve said.

Advance tickets are $20 and available at The Roux House or runningofthesantas.com. VIP tickets are $75. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit That Others May Live Foundation, which provides scholarships, family counseling and aid to surviving children of Air Force members who died in the line of duty.